Babysitter
by W5Lex
Summary: After Matt is attacked by a criminal from a while back, Alesha must step in to babysit him for the recovery.
1. Chapter 1

**READ THIS BEFORE YOU START! I've actually already written quite a lot of this but I'm not sure when I'll get round to finishing it. I wasn't going to put it up yet but I thought I'd do it seeing as today is Jamie Bamber's birthday 3 Anyway, this story is based around the same idea as 'Perfect.' I actually set out for it to be the same story but with a role reversal, but I ended up developing a bit more so I think it's probably better than 'Perfect.' In this one, Matt has been attacked, not Alesha. Also, although the first chapter is written only from Alesha's POV, most, if not all of the others, are written from Matt's as well. From now on, Alesha will be the regular text, and Matt will be in bold. Please review and enjoy! :D**

It was times like these when I really wished I had a car. It wasn't that I couldn't afford one – I had the money – but I'd been convincing myself for months that the purchase was a pointless one considering I lived in the middle of London.

I hated it though, not being in control. The call had come fifteen minutes ago and now here I was, on the bus, unable to do anything but try and distract myself with the no smoking posters and the ads for dodgy looking loan services.

_I'm afraid Mr Devlin has been attacked madam, and you're listed as his emergency contact. _I remembered the exact words. The voice was flat, unemotional, and that annoyed me. There wasn't a trace of urgency or panic in her words when all I wanted to do was scream. Matt, the one person I cared most about, was hurt, and now I was stuck staring at the walls of the bus as the bloody thing insisted on coming to a halt at every single empty stop – the frustration came in knowing that no one was going to get on _or _off.

I was panicking now – was he okay? Was he alive? What had happened? And why was _I _his emergency contact? I felt my heart rate quicken, the muscle now beating so fast that it was a miracle it managed to stay in my chest. I looked out the window again, only one more stop to go. But I wasn't sure I could manage even that, the enclosed space was making me claustrophobic, an unfamiliar feeling.

_No need to press the button _I thought to myself, _it's not as if the driver's going to break the pattern now. _As the doors opened, I launched myself into the open air, sucking in as much oxygen as possible. I could feel the cold as my skin soaked up the heavy mist and I started to run, not bothering to give a second look to the people I barged past.

I rounded the last corner and rushed towards the entrance, cluttering through the doors with a loud knock. Well, at least I'd thought it had been loud. But when I found myself in the middle of the busy emergency department it suddenly didn't seem so loud at all.

I stood still for a short second, trying to calm myself down before walking briskly to the reception. I looked at the woman in front of me and sighed with impatience. She didn't look up, 'Hi, I'm looking for Matt Devlin.' The words came out in a rush and the woman eventually managed to drag her eyes away from whatever it was that was so interesting on the computer screen in front of her.

'Of course, your name please?' It sounded like a well-rehearsed line, the words far too polite for the woman to have thought them up herself.

'Alesha Philips.' _Does it really matter? _Of course it did, I knew I was being unreasonable, he had that effect on me.

'And your relation to the patient.'

'Girlfriend.' I blinked, surprised that that was the first word that came out. Where had that come from? I figured it would be the easiest way to get in quickly.

'Right, of course. If you'd like to take a seat,' I noticed the receptionist's glance at the waiting room and her sceptical expression, 'someone will be with you in just a minute.'

I nodded and went to lean against a wall – the receptionist had been right to doubt her words, it was busy. I stared at the floor, tracing the patterns on the dull material to try and distract myself. It didn't work; nothing would work. All I could think about now was Matt. I never thought I would regret my decision to distance myself as much as I did now. A couple of months after I'd met him, we'd made the agreement not to partake in _sexual relations. _Maybe _agree _was the wrong word – I'd told him not to bother, though that often didn't seem to put him off. Seeing as we didn't actually work _together, _it wasn't strictly necessary but I was the newbie of the group and at the time, I'd been under the impression that he was a ladies man. I knew that in the event things had ended badly, which with the information available to me, had seemed likely, work would be awkward so I'd told him we should stay friends.

Things were different now though. I was happy being his friend. We went out and spent time together outside of work, and it was because of this that I'd managed to keep the relationship at this level. Spending time with him was what really mattered to me, and I still got to do that. But now, the fear of losing him brought the feelings back, and my impressions of him changed. His reputation was no longer a deterrent. I knew now that, though he would happily let people believe he was, Matt was _not _a ladies man. He wasn't as confident around women as people thought.

The nurse stood in front of me and interrupted my thoughts, 'Alesha? You can come through to see Matt now.'

I looked up and realised there were tears in my eyes. I nodded, brushed them away, and followed the woman, willing her to walk faster. She didn't.

She came to a halt right outside the door of the room and turned to look at me. This woman seemed nicer, sympathy in her eyes. 'Ok, well, I should warn you that he looks worse than he is. Matt will be fine, there's no lasting damage,' at last someone told me what I wanted to hear; I let out a breath I hadn't realised I'd been holding in, 'but he's been under anaesthesia since he came in. He should be waking up any minute but he's pulled some muscles and his bodies taken a beating so he's pretty much covered in bruises. Just try to remember, he's going to be okay.' She must have seen the worry in my face because she lightly brushed the top of my arm with her hand in a comforting gesture.

I nodded, still a little dazed by the whole situation, though feeling a _little_ calmer, 'Okay, when can he go home?' I knew he'd be impatient.

'That depends, do you live together? He's going to need some looking after.'

'No, but I can stay with him.' I knew he wouldn't be keen on the idea of needing a babysitter.

'In that case, you should be able to take him home tomorrow morning. We'll just need to keep an eye on him overnight.' I let out a quiet noise of relief; if they were going to let him leave, he really must be okay.

I thanked the nurse and opened the door hesitantly, a little worried about what I would see. He lay motionless and vulnerable on the bed. I let out a small gasp at the bruises and the blood covering his body. When I realised the extent of his injuries, it dawned on me that I hadn't even asked what had happened. I'd been too eager to see him, but whatever it was, it must have been bad. He really was covered head to toe. There were dark patches everywhere and three steri strips on the side of his forehead. He hadn't been washed yet, there was still blood in his hair and a faint layer of dirt covering his skin, though they had put him into a gown.

I stood still for a few seconds, taking him in, and slowly went to sit in the armchair beside the bed. All I could do was wait.


	2. Chapter 2

I sat watching him for ten longs minutes. His eyelids finally fluttered slightly and he let out a low groan. My eyes snapped towards him and I exhaled.

He was still looking ahead when I spoke, 'Matt? Matt, it's me.'

'Lesh?' I watched as he tried to turn his head. He seemed to give up when he realised the pain it caused him, and he let his eyes close again for a few seconds. I wanted to see them though, his eyes were always his biggest giveaway, they never hid the truth.

'Matt, what happened?' I heard the emotion in my own voice as I practically cried the words.

He swallowed. 'Some guys, me and Ron 'rested one a while back.' His words slurred slightly.

I wanted so badly to hate the people who had done this, to be furious, but I couldn't; I didn't have the energy. I was already using every ounce of emotion I had, on Matt. Just looking at him was draining the life out of me.

'Matt, the doctors say you're gonna be okay.' He nodded and his lips curved up at the edges the tiniest bit. I sensed he hadn't forced the smiled for his own benefit. His eyelids closed a fraction and he looked exhausted, he wanted to sleep.

As I said the words I noticed him trying to force them open again. 'The doctors say you can leave tomorrow so go to sleep, I'll stay.'

'Kay.' He gave in to the fatigue and I watched him as his eyes closed again and his breaths became steady. Satisfied he was going to be okay, I slumped into the armchair, shifting it forwards slightly to be closer to Matt. I still had questions, but he was going to be okay; the rest could wait until tomorrow. I slowly and gently lifted my arm and let my hand rest on his, slipping the tips of my fingers inside his loose fist and closed my eyes. I'd barely done anything all day, but I slept dreamlessly all the same.

**I groaned as I waited for my eyes to focus. The room was unfamiliar. My eyes rolled around in their sockets briefly and I realised I was in a hospital. The memory came back. I couldn't be sure how much time had passed but I remembered being attacked. It was a guy, I think his name was Robbie Poole though I couldn't be sure, and a couple of his mates. It must have been at least a couple of years since we'd arrested the guy – a drugs charge maybe.**

'**Matt? Matt, it's me.' I recognised the smooth voice, though today it wasn't so smooth. I hadn't seen her in my examination of the room but then I remembered the last time I'd been here. I'd come in a few months back after a football injury and they'd asked me to check my details. My ex was still down as my emergency contact and I knew it wasn't wise. Alesha had been the first person I'd thought of.**

'**Lesh?' I began to turn my head to look at her but my neck hurt so I let it go back to where it had been.**

'**Matt, what happened?' She sounded upset, surely I didn't look that bad? My eyes drifted down to my arms as if in response to the thought. They were thoroughly bruised and I didn't even remember anyone touching them. I did look bad.**

'**Some guys, me and Ron 'rested one a while back.' The words were a struggle to say the lease. **

'**Matt, the doctors say you're gonna be okay.' I'd figured as much but I forced a smile anyway, hoping to relieve some of the sadness in her voice. I was exhausted and it must have showed.**

'**The doctors say you can leave tomorrow so go to sleep, I'll stay.' That gave me more comfort than the previous words; Alesha would still be here when I woke up. Assured by her promise, I tried for one last response.**

'**Kay.' I was virtually asleep before I'd finished the word. I let my heavy eyes close and tried to ignore the pain. I fell asleep replaying the attack in my head but the drugs seemed to keep the nightmares away… I was grateful.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I woke in the exact same position as I had fallen asleep in – the pain had stopped me moving, although I felt a little better this morning. My body was stiff and as I tried to gently move each limb in turn, I noticed the weight on my hand. I looked down, pushing aside the pain it caused. A smile crossed my face for the first time since yesterday afternoon as the feeling came back to my hand and I felt the warmth of her skin there.**

**A nurse came in a minute later and walked straight to the monitor, noting down some numbers on the chart that hung at the end of the bed. When she was done she turned to look at me, 'Your girlfriend can take you home today.' **

'**My girlfriend?' I didn't have a girlfriend. She looked straight into my eyes with a slight frown and then glanced at Alesha, her hand still in mine.**

'**Yes, she said-'**

**A spilt second later I realised what must have happened and interrupted her before Alesha could get into any trouble, 'Oh right, sorry. Yeah, it's just we're actually engaged now.' I silently prayed that the nurse wouldn't bother to inspect her ring finger.**

**She didn't, instead she smiled. 'Oh, congratulations.' I let a small smile creep onto my own face, what **_**had**_** Lesh been telling people whilst I was asleep?**

**My eyes blinked involuntarily as she let the door slam behind her as she left and I looked down at Alesha.**

**She jolted upright at the rude awakening and let her eyes dart around the room. I couldn't help but smile at the reaction; it was endearing, and smiling was easier today.**

**She seemed satisfied that the noise was no threat and finally met my gaze. I chose to ignore the surprise that surfaced on her face when she did, but made a mental note to look in the mirror later; I had no idea what I must look like.**

'**Hey Lesh, could you please explain why, having failed to catch onto the fact that you're my girlfriend, I had to convince that woman that the reason I was so confused, is that we're engaged?' I smiled again, to make sure she knew I was teasing.**

**She blushed, 'Oh, yeah. I wasn't sure they'd let just any old friend in.' I let out a small laugh this time, though the explanation did make some sense. The movement caused a dull pain but it was bearable, and worth it to see Alesha's face brighten.**

**I changed the subject, 'You know, you didn't have to stay all night.' It wasn't that I didn't want her there, just that I felt a little guilty. The armchair didn't look too comfortable.**

**An answering smile lit up her face, 'I wanted to.' That was good enough for me. I didn't look away from her face until the door opened; it was the nurse again.**

**I grinned and winked, who was I to ignore my fiancé. I took her hand in mine again and struggled to contain a smirk as the nurse looked at us, oblivious. 'You can take him home now that you're both awake. I just need you both to sign a couple of forms before you go.**

**We both smiled a little more sweetly than necessary. She left and I couldn't help but laugh after she'd gone. I stopped when I realised it was pulling at what must be steri strips, on my chest. I vaguely remembered a nurse covering me in them last night. She came back before either of us got another chance to speak, and asked Alesha to step outside. It was only after she let go to leave that I realised I'd still been holding her hand.**

**Once they'd left I slowly pushed myself out of bed, steadying my weight on the hospital barriers surrounding it. I stepped into my jeans and pulled them up underneath the gown. My hands undid the buttons on the side of the long floaty thing as quickly as they could and flung it on the headboard of the bed. When I picked up the grey polo shirt I'd been wearing last night I realised it was covered in blood. With a painful shrug I pulled it on so it was around my neck and forced my arms through the holes – definitely the most painful action yet. I looked down with a sigh as I stepped into the loose high tops I'd been wearing. You wouldn't want to meet me in a dark alley.**

**Alesha and the nurse came back a minute later and I thought I saw Alesha slipping a bottle of pills into her pocket as she walked through the doorway. The nurse handed me a form to sign and I couldn't help but wince at the movement of my hands. I lifted my shirt for her to inspect my chest, and didn't miss the surprise that crossed Alesha's face for a split second.**

'**Right, well you're all set to go. And the police called this morning to say that they managed to catch up with the men last night, and they're going to charge them this morning.' I nodded, it was a relief. Though it didn't change the fact that any of the other many people I'd arrested in the time I'd spent on the beat could do exactly the same. I tried not to think about it – I knew this sort of thing wasn't common.**

'**Can you drive?' I didn't remember ever seeing her in a car.**

'**I don't have a car,' that would explain it then. 'But yeah, I have a license.'**

'**Right, you can drive mine then.' I didn't usually let other people anywhere near the wheel but this was better than the alternative.**

'**Wait, your car? Why is it here? Didn't you get picked up by an ambulance?'**

'**Nope, I collapsed in the waiting room.' The moment it had happened quickly flashed before my eyes.**

**I heard her sigh and looked back to her face to see her shaking her head.**

'**Wait here, I'll go and get you a chair.'**

'**No.' No way was I being pushed around in a wheelchair. 'Don't worry bout it, I can walk. It's not far.' True. It wasn't. I hoped I'd manage it.**

**She raised her eyebrows but seemed to see that I wouldn't budge on this. She helped me into my jacket and I jumped a little when her phone broke the silence.**

'**Alesha Philips.' She held the Blackberry to her ear whilst whoever it was on the other end spoke.**

'**I'm at the hospital with Matt. Don't worry Ron, he's alright. I was just about to take him home. I think I'm gonna have to stay with him for a while though.' What? I glared at her; I didn't need looking after.**

**She finished the conversation and turned to me, 'Look, it's that or you come and stay with me. Otherwise the hospital won't let you leave.' I thought about it. It wasn't that I minded Lesh staying with me, in fact I may even encourage the idea; I enjoyed every second of the time I spent with her. It was that I didn't want her to think I couldn't manage on my own. It was stupid, I know. 'Or I could call your sister?' Well that was settled then. There was no way I was having my sister around to prod and poke me for the recovery. And so with a sigh, I agreed. **

'**Fine, you can stay.' Her face smoothed in a slight expression of victory.**

'**Right, common, let's go then.' Alesha came and managed to get my arm around her to support me. I would have protested but I realised I probably needed the help, better to accept it now than to be forced to accept it having already fallen flat on my arse.**

**I looked at the car when we got outside, praying this wasn't the last time I'd see it in one piece. I let myself half fall into my seat and swung my legs around.**

**She got in next to me, 'If I'm staying with you, I'm gonna need to nip home and get some stuff.' I nodded and put a CD on. **

**She was actually a very good driver. A little slow but then she wasn't used to the car. I spent the journey thinking about Alesha mostly. I tried to keep my mind occupied with old conversations we'd had, though it slipped back to the attack every once in a while.**

**It took me a few seconds to realise we'd arrived at Lesha's. I looked up at her and she was smiling at me.**

**Before I had a chance to ask she had got out, 'Right, I'll just be a minute, stay here.'**

**Was that supposed to be a joke? I grinned anyway and called, 'Well, I'm not going anywhere fast now, am I?'**

**I changed my approach to distraction, this time focusing on the words of the songs. It didn't work as well as before, though I knew it wouldn't. If there was ever anything that could distract me, it would most certainly be Alesha.**

**I realised the only way to truly keep my mind occupied was conversation so on the drive to my place I asked her about work, family, friends. It wasn't just that it was a distraction – I really did care.**

**By the time we'd parked up and made it to the lift, I was just about ready to collapse. Every muscle in my body was aching again as we made it down the hallway of my flat. **

**I turned the key and walked inside, hearing Alesha close the door behind me. She helped me take off all the unnecessary clothes and I went over and slumped into the sofa. I'd never been so grateful for the soft leather giant. **

**It was quiet for a minute. 'You need to have a shower, get that blood out of your hair.' I didn't want to move but she was right. I was still wearing the blood and mud-stained clothes from yesterday and I could see the gleam of dirt on my skin. I could do with the hot water as well, to relax my muscles.**

'**Yeah, okay. I'll go now.' I tried to get up but it was hard when there wasn't really any part of your body that you could lean on for support. Lesh came over to help.**

'**If you think I'm gonna leave you in there alone, you've got another think coming.' I groaned. Why did she always have to be right? I could see what she was thinking and she was probably spot on – I could barely move.**

I jolted awake. I couldn't be sure what had woken me but I looked around the room for some sort of clue. Nothing. I finally looked at Matt, smiling. His bruises shocked me. He looked even worse than he had the day before; the patches had darkened.

He smiled at me wider, more of a grin now, 'Hey Lesh, could you please explain why, having failed to catch onto the fact that you're my girlfriend, I had to convince that woman that the reason I was so confused, is that we're engaged?'

I felt the blood travel to my face. I'd been hoping he wouldn't find out about that, or at least not before I'd had time to think of an excuse, 'Oh, yeah. I wasn't sure they'd let just any old friend in.' He laughed.

I was grateful when he let it go, 'You know, you didn't have to stay all night.'

'I wanted to.' I really did.

I heard the door behind me open; it was the nurse. Matt grinned and winked then took my hand in his. The nurse looked at us completely clueless and I let a small, polite smile creep onto my lips.

'You can take him home now that you're both awake. I just need you each to sign a couple of forms before you go.' I smiled and almost laughed when I realised Matt was wearing the exact same expression as me. The whole situation seemed a little innocent but she wasn't paying enough attention to notice. The nurse left and Matt _did _laugh. It was a nice sound, though it only lasted a few seconds before something seemed to stop him.

The nurse came back half a minute later and I followed her out. I walked with her to the nurses' station and signed the discharge form she put in front of me, she returned a couple of minutes later. 'He's going to need a lot of help, especially over the next few days. You can start to remove the steri strips when the wounds look as though they are healing.' _Wounds? How many are there? _'Get him to take a couple of these, twice a day. And if you have any more problems, please don't hesitate to come back in.' She handed me the bottle of pills and we walked back towards Matt's room.

The nurse gave a similar-looking form to Matt to sign. I winced with him when I saw that the writing was causing him pain. I hadn't notice until now that his right hand was grazed and bruised. He'd tried to fight back – I wouldn't have expected anything else from him.

He'd changed whilst we'd been gone but he looked worse for it. He'd put back on a muddy pair of jeans and a blood-stained polo shirt. It wasn't until the nurse asked him to lift his shirt that I realised where all the blood had come from. There were several short knife wounds covering his chest, now held together with the steri strips.

'Right, well you're all set to go. And the police called this morning to say that they managed to catch up with the men last night, and they're going to charge them this morning.' He nodded… he _looked _relieved but there was something else there. Maybe I was imagining it.

The nurse left and Matt looked at me, his face straight again now, 'Can you drive?'

'I don't have a car, but yeah, I have a license.' I'd always been alright at driving. It took me a minute to process.

'Wait, your car? Why is it here? Didn't you get picked up by an ambulance.' Surely he must have done.

'Nope, I collapsed in the waiting room.' His voice sounded oddly cheerful and I shook my head. How the hell had he managed to drive like this?

I composed myself, 'Wait here, I'll go and get you a chair.'

'No. Don't worry about it, I can walk. It's not far.' I might have argued had it not been for the last bombshell. It would be easier to do things his way anyway; Matt could be stubborn.

A second later the room was filled with my familiar ring tone. I took the phone out of my pocket, 'Alesha Philips.'

'Lesh darling, it's Ronnie.' He sounded uncharacteristically worried. 'Where are you, where's Matt? We've been ringing him all morning. A bloke in uniform downs-'

He wasn't going to stop so I interrupted him before he got a chance to work himself up into a state, 'I'm at the hospital with Matt.' He obviously already knew that bit so I kept going, 'Don't worry Ron, he's alright. I was just about to take him home. I think I'm gonna have to stay with him for a while though.' I chanced a look at him and he looked horrified, I hadn't mentioned that part yet.

I finished the conversation with Ronnie as quickly as I could, hoping I'd provided him with some comfort. He was probably just as worried as I had been. I assured him I would call him in the next few days so that they could come and see him and he told me that both George and Natalie had said that we could take as much time off as we needed.

I turned to Matt and he still looked horrified, would it really be _that_ bad having me around for a while? Something in his expression said not.

He waited for me to speak first, 'Look, it's that or you come and stay with me. Otherwise the hospital won't let you leave.' I could have lied to the nurse but I wasn't convinced he _would _be okay alone. 'Or I could call your sister.' That did it.

'Fine, you can stay.' The words were rude but the way he said it wasn't. How did everything that came out of his mouth manage to sound so charming? The glint in his eyes was there.

'Right, common, let's go then.' I slid underneath his arm and did my best to support some of his weight. We just about made it to the car okay. I'd never driven his BMW before and all of a sudden it looked a lot bigger… and shinier… and more expensive. I helped Matt into his seat and went and climbed in next to him.

'If I'm staying with you, I'm gonna need to nip home and get some stuff.' He nodded and fiddled with the car radio, settling on a Coldplay CD. He seemed happy enough, not in too much pain though his face still screwed up every time he shifted his weight.

I drove slowly, cautiously, and Matt said nothing. When we'd pulled up outside I turned to face him. The bruises hadn't failed to surprise me so far. I smiled lightly as I took in his expression. It was what I liked to call his _thinking face._ He jutted his bottom jaw slightly in front of his top; it was oddly attractive. I didn't ask what he was thinking about.

I hopped out the car as I spoke, 'Right, I'll just be a minute, stay here.

He grinned and I saw him look down out of the corner or my eye, 'Well, I'm not going anywhere fast now am I?' He seemed in relatively high spirits, all things considered. I guessed it was probably because of the news that they'd been arrested, though there was still something a little off, he was pensive.

I headed up to the flat and ran around gathering some stuff. I shoved some clothes, a pair of Converse, my washbag & my iPod into a small holdall and changed into Uggs on the way out. I quickly locked up and got back into the car, chucking the bag onto the back seat.

By the time we'd got back, Matt had started to talk a little more. We covered all the trivial stuff – work, family, friends.

In terms of family, the only person Matt had ever mentioned was his younger sister, Lucy. I knew he wasn't on good terms with the rest of them, and he didn't mention them much, so I assumed she was the only one he still talked to. She sounded nice enough – there was an air of protection in Matt's voice when he spoke of her.

I followed the instructions he gave and parked in a spot near to the lift in the underground car park and helped him out. I positioned myself the same way as before and half-dragged him towards the lift. This was the first time I'd ever felt anything other than appreciation towards Matt's fitness. Sure, he was great to look at, but I'd never counted on having to be his crutch. I sighed, why was I even thinking about it? I _loved_ his body, and if I had to drag him across the Sahara desert, I'd still feel the same.

I let him lean on the wall of the lift whilst it took us up to the sixth floor.

When we finally reached his flat I got Matt out of his jacket and shoes and let him fall onto the sofa. I took the time to have a quick look around, reminding myself of all the rooms. I'd only been here a couple of times before, briefly and a long time ago. It was a bachelor pad, no doubt about it. Everything was light and airy, lots of glass, all open plan, _ridiculously _big TV. The majority of the far wall was a window, overlooking London and the other wall was partially covered by a large bookcase. The place really did suit him.

His body caught my eye again and I, once again, winced at the sight of him. 'You need to have a shower, get that blood out of your hair.' He looked reluctant but he started to get up.

'Yeah, okay. I'll go now.' I went over to help him. I couldn't let him go in there alone, he looked ready to topple over, like one gust of wind would send him crashing to the floor.

'If you think I'm gonna leave you in there alone, you've got another think coming.' He groaned again, but it wasn't a groan of protest, more one of acceptance.


	4. Chapter 4

'**Strip.' It took me a minute to process what she meant and I gave her a look which said that I didn't approve of the blunt tone.**

**I tried to hold on to the bottom of my shirt with one hand whilst I pulled it over my head with the other, but it was no use. Before I had the chance to ask, her hands were there, gently brushing against my skin as she helped me with the action. The change in my breaths was audible and I hoped she didn't notice. **

**I heard her sigh but looked down to realise it was the wounds which had provoked the reaction – they did look pretty bad, there was no doubt I was a mess. I glanced towards the mirror hoping for a first sight of what I looked like. It wasn't pretty. I barely looked human for all the blood and bruises. **

**She took a small step back and I undid my belt; it was clear she really wasn't going to leave me alone and there was no point dragging it out longer than was necessary. I was down to my boxers.**

'**Get in and take them off. I'll wait while you wash your hair and get all that blood off. Call if you need any help.' I did as she said; it didn't sound as though I had any choice. I awkwardly kicked the boxers out of the shower once I was in and turned the water on. I let it run until I could see the steam coming from it and then stepped into the heat.**

**The relief it provided was almost instantaneous. The pain didn't go away, that was still there – maybe even worse because of the pressure – but I felt the difference as, one by one, the muscles in my body relaxed slightly. I hadn't realised quite how much blood I had been carrying. The water being sucked down the plughole gradually turned from a deep red to clear. **

**I stood still for a minute before reaching up to try and get the worst of the blood out of my hair before washing it properly. I groaned as I felt the muscles in my arm tighten; still not relaxed enough. **

'**You okay in there?' She sounded worried.**

'**I'm fine, just cramp.'**

'**Turn the water off, I'm coming in.' **_**What? Great! Because this isn't going to totally obliterate our professional relationship.**_

'**No! I'm…' I shut my eyes as another pain shot all the way up my arm. It was no use, I wasn't going to be able to do this without any help. 'Fine, pass me a towel.' Her hand came through the curtain and I forced my arm down to take it from her. There was no way I was going to let her see me naked – not like this anyway…**

**I tried to wrap it around me, tucking the corner in and dragging the curtain back with my good arm – though I wouldn't have called either of them particularly good at this moment in time.**

**She seemed to sigh and her eyes scanned up and down my body, presumably looking for some improvement in my appearance – I thought she found what she was looking for. **

'**It's my arm, I can't reach up… Cramp.' I said the last word a bit too quickly but I couldn't help it, I hated being so bloody useless!**

**Before I had a chance to question what she was doing, Alesha's fingers were tracing the skin of my arm, applying pressure to the sparsely distributed parts which were still unbruised. I sighed and let my eyes close, the fact that they were her fingers only made the feeling better. I felt like I could fall asleep standing. **

**I could feel the muscles relax again under her touch and then the fingers stopped too soon, 'More later. First, pass the shampoo.' I sighed in relief and did as she said, my arms moving slightly more easily now.**

**I watched as she squeezed the shampoo into her palm and I let her rub it into my hair. She was gentle, only catching a tender spot a few times. I let my eyes close again as her nails lightly scratched at the dried blood on my scalp. I could feel the hair getting cleaner as she rinsed the soap out with the showerhead.**

**When I opened my eyes again she was looking at my chest. My eyes were on her face as she pulled off a few of the steri strips and rubbed her hands in the bar of soap, again, scratching the dried blood from around the cuts.**

'**You know, I can do that.' I moved my hands and circled them around her wrists to stop them from moving. **

**She looked up, 'Shut up. And stay still.' I grinned, there was something attractive about her bossy tone of voice, not that I didn't always find her attractive.**

'**Kay – I think you're done. You **_**look**_** pretty clean.'**

'**Wow. Feeling complimentary today are we?' I smiled and she rolled her eyes at the sentence. She got out of the shower and leant in to take the towel. I handed it to her and rinsed off once more quickly, sticking my hand out to take the towel again when I was done.**

**I got out, still moving slowly though it wasn't as painful as before. I walked out, wrapped only in the towel, and into my bedroom. I sensed Alesha behind me, she'd followed me in. I pulled open a couple of drawers and picked out my trackies. I heard Alesha leave for a moment and I sat on the edge of the bed whilst I pulled on a new pair of pants and the grey trackie bottoms. **

**Alesha came back with a bottle of pills in one hand and a glass of water in the other. I could see what was coming so I held out my hand for the pills and took the water, swallowing both the tablets together.**

**I left the glass of water on the side as Alesha stayed leant against the doorframe and went over to the chest of drawers again. I was beginning to feel a little strange wondering around half naked with Alesha there. I picked out a black vest but before I had a chance to put in on Alesha had it out of my hands as she guided and carefully pushed me onto the bed, face down. **

**I was about to ask what the hell she was doing and then I remembered the promise from the shower, more later. **

'**Just relax.' Her voice was soft and so I let my body go limp on the bed as she sat beside me, cross-legged. I turned so my face was facing her but I let my eyes close as her fingers touched me again.**

'Strip,' I demanded. No point in treading carefully. He gave me a weird sort of look and reluctantly obeyed. I watched him for a second struggling to pull his shirt off and went to help him. Though he wouldn't admit it, I could see he wasn't going to be able to get it off on his own. I was aware of the smooth texture of his bare chest as my fingers skimmed over the skin.

I sighed, how did he have the time to keep in such good shape? There were wounds all over his chest and, had it not been for them, my reaction may have been much more noticeable. At least they distracted my attention from the impressive physique of the half naked man in front of me.

I let him undo his belt and tried not to let my eyes linger more than necessary as the jeans dropped to the floor.

_Now, what's the easiest way to do this? _'Get in and take them off. I'll wait while you wash your hair and get all that blood off. Call if you need any help.' I knew he wouldn't but I offered all the same. I leant against the sink waiting and 20 seconds later the boxers landed just outside the curtain. I'd already decided I was going to throw all of the clothes away – they were filthy, even the boxers had patches of blood and dirt on the waistband.

The water turned on and I went out and grabbed a plastic bag which was sat on the counter quickly. I stuffed the boxers, shirt, jeans and jacket in the bag and left them by the front door.

As I walked back into the bathroom I heard a deep groan from inside the cubicle, 'You okay in there?'

'I'm fine, just cramp.' I waited for a second, deliberating.

'Turn the water off, I'm coming in.' I heard the surprise in the silence.

'No! I'm…' he didn't finish the sentence and I winced with him as I realised what must have stopped him from speaking. 'Fine, pass me a towel.' I did as he said, I had no desire to make this more awkward than it already had the potential to be. Though I could never really see things being awkward between us, I wasn't sure any situation could be awkward with Matt – he could make a joke out of anything, all he had to do was _grin _to set _me_ off.

I waited for his permission to enter and then I saw his hand pop out as it dragged the curtain across the rail.

I walked in and the sigh was audible. He was stood looking gloriously naked in front of me again. And again, I was almost thankful for the long, deep wound that stretched along his chest. _Almost, _but not quite.

'It's my arm, I can't reach up… Cramp.' The last word came out in a rush, like he was afraid it would cause more pain. The suffering in his voice dragged me back to the moment.

I looked at his arm for a split second and reached out for it, remembering the time I had visited my Mum after a long exam at law school. I'd been so grateful when she'd massaged my hand, surely the same could be applied here. I took his arm, doing my best to ignore the strength of them, the muscle and the faint veins visible through the skin. I let my hands rub them, starting soft and then increasing the pressure, doing all I could to keep away from the bruises.

I heard him sigh and looked up to see his eyes closed. I smiled and watched his face, no longer screwed up from the discomfort.

We couldn't stay like this all day, 'More later. First, pass the shampoo.' It wasn't like I would forget the promised chance to run my fingers all over his soft, pale skin again.

He lifted his arm the short amount to reach the shampoo without difficulty and handed it to me.

I rolled up my sleeves and squeezed a dollop into my hand, then handed the bottle back and lifted my arms to rub it into his hair. It was even softer than it looked. Satisfied that the soap had been lathered enough, well, more than necessary really, I pulled the showerhead out of it's holder and reached up to rinse the soap out. I let the water run until the hair was dark and pure and then turned the water off.

I looked at his chest now, there was still too much blood there. I carefully pulled off some of the steri strips from the wounds which looked like they'd be fine without it. I rubbed my hands in the bar of soap and carefully tried to scratch off the blood from around the cuts, being particularly careful around the biggest wounds which ran from the side of his chest all the way round to his front; it was surrounded by a dark bruise.

'You know, I can do that.' His hands held mine like cuffs. I looked at him.

'Shut up. And stay still.' He smiled.

'Kay – I think you're done. You _look_ pretty clean.'

'Wow. Feeling complimentary today are we?' He smiled again and I smiled as well, he looked better.

I got out of the cubicle and waited for him to finish, taking the towel and handing it back to him after he'd rinsed. Looking at him again after he had rinsed, I realised that his face was also heavily bruised. The damage had been mostly concealed until now by the dirt but the dark patches around his eye and on his forehead were now much more clear. I followed him into his room. It was light but there was drizzle outside. I couldn't help but watch the muscles that lined his back as he moved, the strength in them was obvious. I left and went to pour a glass of water whilst he got dressed though when I returned he was still wearing only a pair of tracksuit bottoms.

I noticed his subconsciously limited movements, he was usually much more flexible and agile.

I smiled stupidly at his back as he went to pull out a shirt.

Before he had a chance to pull it over his head I pulled it out of his hands and gently pushed him onto the bed. I felt his body tense even more as I held onto his shoulders.

'Just relax.' He seemed to do as I said, his shoulders automatically dropping slightly. I sat next to him on the bed and he turned his face to me, eyes closed. I watched his face as I let my fingers run over his back once again. After ten minutes I stopped. It was silent and I realised Matt was asleep. His breaths had grown deeper and he looked serene. I too, was tired. Yeah, I'd only woken up a few hours ago but somehow, I still felt drained. I let my back fall to the bed and within a few minutes, I'd fallen asleep.

**A/N: Pleaaasseee review :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'd fallen asleep quickly that morning. It couldn't have been past 11 and I slept okay the night I'd been in the hospital but I woke up now and looked out the window. It was dark. I lay shirtless in the middle of the bed, still faced down. It was a few seconds before I noticed something pressed against my arm and slowly turned around to see what it was. I smiled, Alesha lay, practically falling off, with her face turned to the ceiling. She was fast asleep and she looked the calmest I'd see her since she'd come to the hospital.**

**I turned back towards the outside of the bed, shuffling over a bit, to grab my phone. Wow, it was 11 PM. We'd been asleep for ages. I slowly sat up, testing the muscles as I moved. Still very stiff. I heard a movement behind me once I was sat on the edge of the bed and I looked back with a smile.**

**Alesha was looking at me, still weary. 'Breakfast?' I offered with a grin. 'Or dinner? Take yer' pick.' I wasn't sure which was more appropriate. **

**She laughed a little, 'Umm,' she glanced out the window, 'dinner I suppose.'**

'**Right, I'll cook something then. Omelette? Pasta? Pizza?'**

'**Omelette would be great.' Her stomach made a quiet noise as if to accentuate the moment and then it was my turn to laugh. 'Are you sure you don't want me to cook?'**

'**Nope, go flick the telly on.' I really was feeling better, and anyway, she'd done enough. **

**I surprised myself with the ease with which I hauled myself off the bed, I felt a lot more alert now. I'd needed the sleep.**

**I took the black vest which I had never got around to putting on over my head and slipped my arms through. As I walked outside, I could hear the faint footsteps behind me as Alesha peeled off towards the sofa. **

**I walked around the kitchen, grabbing everything I needed and putting dinner on as quickly as I could. While I was waiting I checked the messages on my phone. There was a text from Ronnie, **_**Matty, hope you're feeling better Give us a ring to let us know when we can come see u. Ron x.**_** I smiled and pressed reply; **_**I'm fine Ron, really. Alesha's looking after me ;) **_**I knew that however hard I tried to hide it, Ronnie knew how much I liked Lesh.**

**There was a voicemail, from Lucy. I held the phone to my ear, **_**Matt? Hi it's Lucy. Where are you? You didn't ring last night. Call me when you can. Love you.**_** She was worrying, she often did. I usually called her every night. I deleted the message, and sent a text before she had time to report me as a missing person or something, **_**Luce. Sorry I didn't ring, was working late. I will be for most of this week but I'll drop in next week. xxx. **_**I knew she would only panic if I told her the truth so I put it off until I next saw her. **

**I dished the food out onto two plates and carried it over to the sofa, setting one on Alesha's lap and the other on the coffee table. 'Wine? Beer?'**

**She nodded, 'Beer would be great'**

**I raised my eyebrows in surprise and went to grab a couple of bottles out of the fridge, removing the caps before returning.**

'**There can't be much on at this time. Film?'**

'**Yeah, sure. What are we watching?'**

'**You choose.' I squinted as I read out the list of titles sitting by the TV.**

'**Ummm, Bridget Jones?'**

'**Ugh, such a girl.' I grinned.**

'**We can watch something else if you'd rather.'**

'**Nah, don't tell Ron but I quite like a light-hearted chick-flick,' I mocked. But I really was a fan of them. Probably something to do with the fact that Lucy made me watch dozens of them with her when we were younger. I took a long sip of the beer whilst it loaded. I hadn't had a drink in days. **

**The movie started and we sat, eating. The film made me laugh, and Alesha, that's why I like it. There was still the occasional twinge from the movements but I didn't notice the pain too much now unless I put a more considerable amount of pressure on it.**

**As the movie finished I felt Alesha's eyes on me. I looked at her, 'What?' She was smiling. **

'**Nothing.' She shook her head a little and got up, clearing up the plates and bottles.**

'**Leave that. I'll do it.' She ignored me and carried on. I looked at my watch, it had just gone half one. I sat trying to work out what day it was. I'd lost track but I eventually figured it must be Saturday.**

**I inspected the bruises that I could see, the ones on my arms. Some of the fainter ones had faded a little, going yellow around the edges.**

**As I continued I heard Alesha's voice from behind. She gasped, 'Shit!'**

**I turned around to look for the source of the problem. She was leant on the counter, with her phone to her ear. She looked at me and I frowned questioningly. 'What?'**

'**I was supposed to be going to a wedding tomorrow… today… whatever.' She didn't smile. 'I forgot to cancel.' She looked down, disappointed. **

**I wasn't going to ruin her week just because I managed to get myself beaten up, 'Don't cancel, you should go.' I would miss her but I was sure I could cope for one day alone.**

**She looked at me, an idea obviously brewing in her mind, 'I have a plus one.' She smiled hopefully and I rolled my eyes. I didn't really feel up to it but the combination of spending the day with Alesha and the pleading look in her eyes didn't give me a choice.**

**I paused for a moment, 'Fine. What time do we need to be there, and where do we need to be?'**

**She went over to grab her bag and rifled through it for a minute, before returning with an invitation.**

'**Ealing. 11 o' clock.' I nodded, only half an hour away. It was half one and I knew I wouldn't be able to last if we were going to be out all day.**

'**We should probably try and get a couple more hours of sleep.'**

**She nodded and we headed for the bedroom. I figured since we'd slept together last night, we may as well do the same. Apparently, she didn't object. **

**It only took Alesha ten minutes or so to fall asleep. For me, it was much longer. After about forty minutes of lying there, Alesha caught me by surprise as she turned to face me and lay her arm on top of my chest. The weight felt nice and ten minutes later, I was out.**

I was woken by a movement not far from where I lay. I opened my eyes slowly and smiled at the sight which greeted me. Matt Devlin's bare back.

He turned to look at me, 'Breakfast? Or dinner, take yer' pick.' The events of the day before slowly came back to me; the crash, the conversations, and then I remembered how we'd fallen asleep.

I laughed at the sheer oddity of the situation, and looked out of the window for an idea of what time it was, it was pitch black, 'Umm, dinner I suppose.'

'Right, I'll cook something then. Omelette? Pasta? Pizza?'

I had to admit, I was more than a little impressed that he could apparently cook, I'd never had him down as a domesticated guy. 'Omelette would be great.' I felt myself blush as my stomach rumbled, reinforcing my hunger.

He laughed at me and I smiled. 'Are you sure you don't want me to cook?' He still looked rough and I wasn't sure whether it was wise to take his word on his cooking skills.

'Nope, go flick the telly on.' I waited for him to cover his chest with the vest that still lay out from last night, and then did as he said. There was nothing much on. A couple of dodgy horror films, re-runs of Top Gear. I settled on that until Matt returned with the food.

He placed a plate on my lap and looked down, 'Wine? Beer?'

I nodded, 'Beer would be great.' He looked at me with an expression of surprise. I didn't often drink beer but I felt like I could probably do with it.

He sat back down, two bottles in hand a minute later, 'There can't be much on at this time. Film?'

'Yeah, sure. What are we watching?'

'Ummm, Bridget Jones?' It was one of my favourites, the Grant-Firth combination never failed to make me laugh.

'Ugh, such a girl.' He grinned at me.

'We can watch something else if you'd rather.'

'Nah, don't tell Ron but I quite like a light-hearted chick-flick.' I laughed at the tone of his voice. He put the DVD on and we ate as we watched.

As the movie finished, I looked at him. There was genuine amusement in his eyes and I could tell he really did enjoy the movie. I reminded myself to tell Ron about this later. He'd take the piss for hours.

He caught me watching him, 'What?'

I brushed it off, 'Nothing.' I got up before he had the chance to ask again and began to clear up. He tried to stop me but I was supposed to be looking after _him. _

Once all the plates and cutlery had been cleared away I reached into my pocket to check the time. It was half one but that wasn't what caught my attention. I had a message from Denise. I frowned and listened to it.

_Hey, Lesh. I was just calling to find out if you were going to be bringing a plus one to the wedding tomorrow? It's no problem, I've assumed you're bringing Charlie up until now but if you're not then let me know and I'll try to shift the seating plan a bit._

'Shit!' I'd completely forgotten about the wedding. I hadn't realised it was so soon. No, was the answer to the question. I certainly would not be bringing Charlie. It must have been ages since I'd last spoken to Den. I'd broken up with Charlie at least a couple of months ago.

I'd attracted Matt's attention, 'What?'

I looked at him, 'I was supposed to be going to a wedding tomorrow… today… whatever. I forgot to cancel.' I was feeling guilty for having to let Denise down last minute. I'd been at school with her and she was one of my closest friends.

'Don't cancel, you should go.'

I looked at him and assessed the appearance. He looked quite a lot better. One of the bruises on his face was practically gone, the other still a dark purple. 'I have a plus one.' I aimed my best smile towards him. The wedding may be a little more bearable with him there and I still wasn't particularly keen on leaving him alone, though I think I may have been demonstrating a more-than-necessary-protectiveness.

He looked at me and sighed in defeat, 'Fine. What time do we need to be there, and where do we need to be?' I beamed and went to get the invitation out of my bag.

'Ealing. 11 o' clock.' I knew it wasn't too far away though I'd never been before. He seemed to recognise it at least.

'We should probably try and get a couple more hours of sleep.'

I nodded at him and walked towards the bedroom. I still felt a _little _tired, probably due to the ridiculously long hours I'd put in that week trying to close a case. Once I lay down the feeling increased and I was asleep within fifteen minutes.


	6. Chapter 6

The sun shining through the window woke me the next morning. Embarrassed and hopeful that Matt hadn't woken to see what I'd done, I gently lifted my arm from on top of his chest. I checked my phone for the time, half seven. I remembered looking up the journey time when I first got the invitation, it should take about forty minutes to get there by car, though I knew Matt drove fast; Ronnie was always complaining. That left just under two and a half hours to get ready and leave. I would have to go back to the flat to find something to wear as well.

I heard Matt's groan from behind me and turned to look at him, 'Morning.'

He smiled at me and got up, still fully dressed in his trackies and vest. I took another moment to assess his condition. His body was still pretty bad, bruises all along his arms and a big one on one of his shoulders. His face wasn't looking too terrible, not that it ever could. There was just a light yellow shadow where the bruise on his forehead had been. The other side- the black eye – was still bad. It was purple, the outer edges tinged a dark yellow. _At least he's a copper, that gives him some excuse. _I followed him out and we had breakfast, just toast today. I watched him as he walked around the kitchen and noticed with relief that he seemed to have pretty much lost the limp. He was still favouring his left foot a little but he seemed unaware of the sprain and was putting weight on it without too much effort.

'You're gonna have to wear a suit so I'm going to need to patch up the gash on your chest.'

He nodded, 'Wouldn't want to get blood on my shirt.' He said the words with a grin so infectious that I couldn't resist returning it. I was glad to see that he was back to his old self. The day would be much more fun with Matt Devlin for company.

After breakfast he took out a gauze material from the medicine cabinet. 'What else do you have stashed in there?'

He smiled again, and did his _thinking face. _'I skidded on broken glass last year during a football match, cut my leg.'

I nodded as he pulled off his shirt to bare the wound. As he did I saw that despite the steri strips, it had bled a little onto the black vest he'd been wearing. Once again forcing my eyes not to get distracted, I gently wiped around the gash with some wet tissue and dried it off. Slowly, I lowered the big piece of padded gauze onto the cut and secured it in place using the provided medical tape.

He dragged me back towards the bedroom with him and stood me in front of the wardrobe. 'I'm _your date. _You have to choose what I wear. I'm crap at all this.' I begged to differ, he seemed to manage pretty well most days. I couldn't help but be hopeful at the use of the word _date. _I smiled to myself and started to pull aside clothes in the wardrobe.

Once I'd chosen the ensemble I left him to get dressed with a parting command, 'I need to go home on the way to change and have a shower.' I glanced at my phone again, half eight. 'Try and be ready in three quarters of an hour.'

'Will do,' he called back. I sat myself in front of the TV again and turned to the news. Forty minutes later he appeared in front of me, fully dressed. I'd chosen well, he looked irresistible. He too, looked pleased with the grey suit-blue shirt combination. I marvelled at the way he'd left the first two buttons of the shirt undone, open enough to see the very top of his chest and the familiar gold chain of what I'd always assumed must be a St. Christopher's medallion but had never been close enough to confirm. He held two pairs of shoes in front of him. I pointed to the black pair and watched him as he sat down and tied the laces.

He looked up at me, 'Ready.'

'Kay. Are you going to drive or should I?'

'Nah. I think I'll be alright today.' I nodded, he certainly seemed in higher spirits.

It was only another five minutes before we'd got everything together and were in the car.

**I squinted my eyes and groaned as I realised it was the sun pouring through the window which had woken me. 'Morning.'**

**I smiled at the pleasant sight before me. I got up and walked straight towards the kitchen, feeding us, and remembered the wedding I was now supposed to be attending today. I glanced at the clock on the oven, just gone half seven. **

**Alesha broke the comfortable silence as we ate, 'You're gonna have to wear a suit,' I'd figured as much, 'so I'm going to need to patch up the gash on your chest.' She was right. The last thing Alesha needed was for me to keel over and die of considerable blood loss in the middle of her friend's wedding. **

**I nodded and grinned in agreement, 'Wouldn't want to get blood on my shirt.'**

**I remembered the material they'd given me when I'd gone to hospital the time before last. It had been another football injury, this one involving rather a lot of blood and stitches. I took the gauze material out of the medicine drawer and Alesha eyed me suspiciously, 'What else do you have stashed in there?'**

**I briefly explained how I'd got the stuff and pulled my vest over my head so that she could stick it to the wound with the medical sellotape more easily. **

**Once she was done I took her hand and pulled her with me into the bedroom.**

'**I'm **_**your date.' **_**I smiled to myself behind her back. 'You have to choose what I wear. I'm crap at all this.' It was true, I'd never been particularly talented at picking out clothes. Although, I was relying on the word of Lucy, the girl who had only ever dated men wearing skinny jeans and sporting hair which looked as though it belonged in a wig shop.**

**I watched her as she pulled out various clothes and then as she walked out of the room. 'I need to go home on the way to change and have a shower. Try and be ready in three quarters of an hour.'**

'**Will do.' I called after her. I quickly walked to the bathroom and got in the shower, washing my hair again. Once I was out I shaved, had brushed my teeth and returned to the bedroom to dry my hair off, I examined the clothes she'd got out. A grey suit considerably brightened with a bold blue silky shirt. I checked the time again. Another fifteen minutes before Alesha would begin to freak out. **

**I changed into the clothes and stood in front of the mirror. I had to admit, it had been a good choice. The bruise covering my eye ruined it a **_**little **_**but I made a note to wear the shirt more often, it was nice. I gently ruffled my hair and went out to the front door, choosing and picking up two pairs of shoes, one black, one brown.**

**I went over and held them in front on Lesh. She pointed to the black ones so I returned the brown and sat down to put them on.**

'**Ready.'**

'**Kay. Are you going to drive or should I?'**

'**Nah. I think I'll be alright today.' **

**I picked up the car keys and my wallet and phone and followed her out of the door. **


	7. Chapter 7

I pushed my key in and turned it to open the door. It felt like I hadn't been back in ages. 'Make yourself at home. I'm going to go and get ready.' It had just gone half nine so I had about fifty minutes to get ready. I went straight into the bedroom and through to the bathroom. I stripped and got in the shower, shaving my legs, washing my hair, then getting out and heading back to through to the bedroom – I'd brushed my teeth at Matt's. I ran the brush through my hair as quickly as possible and found myself stood in front of a wardrobe again, this time my own.

I combed through the clothes with my hands and they settled on two dresses, a deep blue and a turquoise. I smiled to myself and secured the towel around me before walking out to Matt, dresses in hands. He looked at me, startled by the appearance, before realising what I wanted.

'Oh. Ummm, the blue. We'll match.' He grinned as though he liked the idea of the colour coordination. I returned to the bedroom and lay the dresses back down on the bed before turning to the mirror. I still had twenty-five minutes. As quickly as I could, I blow dried the hair, getting the top as straight as possible, and leaving the bottom to dry curly. I put on some make up in a hurry, adding only some black liner and mascara to my eyes and a layer of gloss onto my lips. I put on some underwear and stepped into the dress, pulling it up.

I sighed and walked back into the living room, turning so I had my back to Matt, 'Zip me up?'

He pushed himself off the sofa and did as I said. I walked back into the bedroom, slipped into a pair of black heels and a black cardigan, grabbed the present I'd bought Den and Michael a couple of weeks ago and my bag, still holding all the essentials, and went back out to Matt, 'Let's go.'

'Wow. You look… beautiful.' I looked behind to see that Matt was standing but so far hadn't moved a muscle. I smiled at him.

'Yeah, yeah. Come on Devlin. You wouldn't look too bad yer'self if it wasn't for the black eye.'

He grinned, amused, and followed me out the door.

Ronnie wasn't joking; Matt really did drive fast. The journey went quickly as we chatted about the bride and groom. I gave him a quick overview of how I knew Den and the man she was marrying. Denise was my best friend in high school and we'd kept in contact all through law school. She was a hairdresser. As far as I knew, she'd met Michael just over a couple of years ago. He was an accountant, not the nicest man I'd ever met but decent. I told him a bit about my school days for the rest of the journey and we were there within thirty five minutes, arriving a couple of minutes before eleven.

The car stopped and Matt got out. I started to pick my things up from by my feet but before I'd had a chance to open the door, Matt was there, holding it ajar for me. I heard him shut it behind me and then there was a hand on my waist. The kiss he planted was quick enough that I almost couldn't be sure it had happened. It was the look in his eyes afterwards that convinced me. The look that, no matter how many times I'd tried to recreate it in my mind, was always infinitely better when displayed by the man himself. It was accompanied by the patented grin as he took the boxed present in one hand, and my own hand in the other.

**I followed Alesha into the flat. 'Make yourself at home. I'm going to go and get ready.' I nodded but she'd already made it to the bedroom by that point. I looked around for a minute and went to get a glass of water before turning the TV on and turning to an old episode of Top Gear. **

**About twenty minutes later Alesha was stood in front of me, wearing nothing but a towel. I sighed as my eyes followed the body up – a little too slowly – until they reached her face. It was only then I realised she was holding two dresses. I smiled at the parallel from this morning, 'Oh. Ummm, the blue. We'll match.'**

**I watched her leave and reluctantly turned back to the TV. I laughed at the programme and the regular flow of tests not even remotely related to helping you make a decision on the car to buy, until Alesha returned twenty minutes later. **

'**Zip me up?' Another sigh escaped my lips as I stood up to pull the zip up her bare back, my hands brushing against her smooth dark skin. **

**She rushed around the flat for another couple of minutes collecting things as I watched her and headed for the door, 'Let's go.'**

'**Wow. You look… beautiful.' I said what I was thinking as I examined her again. The deep blue dress came down to her knees. She'd covered her shoulders with a cardigan and was wearing a pair of heels. The dress clung to her in all the right places, showing off her figure. **

**She'd turned back to look at me, 'Yeah, yeah. Come on Devlin. You wouldn't look too bad yer'self if it wasn't for the black eye.' I took it as a compliment and followed her out of the building. **

**I knew the way to Ealing no problem – it was where Lucy lived. So as I drove, I listened to Alesha's stories about Denise & Michael – the couple whose wedding we were on our way to – and her time at school. I listened intently, already thinking it might feel a bit strange turning up to the wedding of a couple I'd never met before. They sounded nice enough.**

**I parked in an empty spot and got out of the car, walking around to open the door for Alesha. As she got out, I let my instincts take over, placing a hand around her waist whilst the other held her neck and pulled her gently towards me. Without hesitation I kissed her, just for a moment. Without another word, feeling that hopeful she wouldn't require an explanation, I took the present she was carrying out of her hand to enable me to take the hand in my own. **


	8. Chapter 8

As we walked towards the church I looked up and smiled at Matt. Idly I wondered what had taken us so long. Ronnie had been giving us disapproving looks for long enough so we'd obviously been flirting at work, though it felt so natural with him that I didn't always notice. I'd certainly liked him since pretty much the day I met him, and once again, I cursed myself for saying no. It shouldn't have taken an assault for me to realise how much I _needed _him in my life.

I felt him squeeze my hand and I smiled again to myself. 'Alesha!' I looked to my left but I recognised the voice immediately. It was Denise's mother. I'd always got on better with Mrs. Wright than I had with my own Mum. Reluctantly, I let go of Matt's hand to open my arms to her.

'Sandra! It's great to see you again.' I pulled out of the hug.

'Where's Charlie?'

'Oh, we broke up a few months ago.' I looked back and grabbed Matt's hand again, dragging him forward so that he stood next to me.

'And who's this?' She studied him for a moment.

'This is Matt-'

'Nice to meet you Matt,' she turned back to me. 'And why is it that Matt looks as though he just lost a fight with rhino?' She was looking at me but still managed to direct the question at Matt.

He opened his mouth to speak but I was quicker, 'He's works for the police, got punched by a guy he was arresting.' I told the lie only so we wouldn't have to revsit the incident again today. 'Anyway, what time are we starting?'

'Actually, you're just in time. We should go in.' She pulled my arm towards the entrance, and I grabbed Matt's pulling him with us. I left the present by the already giant stack by the entrance, quickly taking out a pen to add Matt's name to the card.

We took our seats and Matt thanked me for lying before the music started and we turned to see Denise. She looked beautiful, but uncomfortable. Which was pretty much what I had been expecting. She'd always been a tomboy, a jeans and t-shirt girl. I regularly glanced over to study Matt's face and caught him doing the same, I was unable to contain a smirk when we made eye contact. He really did look great today, somehow more handsome than I'd ever seen him before.

After the ceremony, we followed the rest of the guests back out to the garden. We walked around, stopping to have several long conversations with people I hadn't seen since my days at school, and a few other friends I'd managed to stay in touch with. Matt was polite to everyone, even the ones who didn't deserve it. Most of the women were perfectly nice to him – I of all people could understand why – but a few of the men didn't seemed satisfied by the story behind the black eye. I sensed some of them may not have even believed he was a police officer, a fact which annoyed me but only seemed to amuse Matt.

I wasn't surprised when – a couple of hours later - I first caught sight of Den after the ceremony, already changed into jeans and white shirt, more casual, but still more girly than she was used to. She ran up to me for an embrace. 'Alesha. It's been too long.'

I nodded in agreement, I'd forgotten how much fun she was, 'Yeah, I know. I've been really busy with work. Sorry.'

She stepped back, only now realising the man I was with wasn't Charlie. 'Who's this?' She raised an eyebrow in approval.

'This is Matt. He works for the police, hence the bruises.' She laughed, and again reminded me of why I loved her. So light-hearted, so funny.

'Oh, hello Matt.' She eyed him up as obviously as she possibly could and I laughed with her. Matt went red with embarrassment.

'Anyway, come on, we'll catch up at lunch. I put you next to me, never mind Mum.' She never had been particularly traditional so we followed her back into the church hall, which had been decorated with a metallic grey and green theme.

Denise pretty much ignored everyone but Matt, myself and Michael throughout the meal. It didn't take long for her to begin the questioning. I'd barely sat down before she insisted on making multiple comments about the appearance of Matt. She'd basically outlined my own thoughts; _handsome, hot, brave, smart _and _charming _were the words which sprung to the forefront. It was the last three, which, in my mind, made him so attractive. It didn't hurt that he was quite possibly the most handsome man I'd ever met – both his face and his body – but it was more than that. What I loved most about him was… _him. _The protectiveness he held over those that he cared about, the way he was _always _able to cheer me up, the way he had always been the one who was there for me when others weren't, and the sheer intelligence and thoughtfulness of his mind.

The other thing which had caught my attention was _you look happier today than I've seen you… well, ever. _I certainly felt it.

Once she'd got the gushing out of her system, Denise raised her voice from the whisper It had been to loud enough to include Matt in the conversation. He'd been talking to the man sat next to him, a guy I didn't recognise, but the look on his face told me he wasn't disappointed to be dragged away. She quizzed him throughout, asking endless questions about his work, his family, his _battle wounds _and his relationship with me. I was grateful when it came to his turn to lie. He too seemed to sense that telling people they'd only actually been in a relationship for a few hours didn't really give an accurate overview _of _their relationship. Instead, he convincingly told Denise we'd been seeing each other for a few weeks. It still didn't really amount to the feelings shared between us, but it was better than the truth.

I was grateful when the speeches had been made and the lunch finished. Finally, everyone flooded back out into the garden. The lunch had continued for at least a couple of hours, the time was now 4 o' clock and the light was beginning to dim. Couples had begun to dance to the soft music being played through a pair of speakers, whilst a few of the guys, I recognised them as Michael's friends, swayed drunkenly in a patch of ground covered by a large tree.

We stood around, chatting to a few more people, drinking champagne – though Matt refused, he would be driving – before he pulled me away again, 'Come on.' He was dragging me towards the middle of the garden, where people were still dancing. I shut my eyes in embarrassment; I wasn't a good dancer on the best of days and I could now feel the alcohol beginning to take effect.

I felt at ease with his arms around me. Matt held me closed and almost whispered, 'I meant it, you look great tonight.' He pulled his head away from my ear to look at me.

I smiled back at him, 'Thank you.' There was silence for a few more minutes before he leaned in as he had earlier, to press his lips to mine. This was a proper kiss, our lips moving together, our breaths mixing, I smiled underneath him as I felt his hands on my back and face.

Finally, he pulled away, 'I love you.' I surprised myself with the reaction, a laugh.

'You don't mean it, you're drunk.' I laughed again, but he was looking at me sincerely now.

'_You're _drunk, I haven't had a drink all day. Alesha, I love you.' I smiled back at him as I realised what he said was true.

I thought about him again, about my thoughts from earlier, the things I _loved _about him. And they really were things I loved, because I _loved _him, more than I could remember ever loving someone before. I looked into his blue eyes again, 'I love you too.'

He leant forward and kissed me again as I grasped the collar of his shirt to hold him to me. It was in that moment that I vowed never to let him go.

**As we walked hand in hand towards the church, we glanced at each other a few times but stayed quiet. I was thinking. About Alesha, about how – terrible as it sounded – I was **_**almost **_**grateful for what had happened. I couldn't be sure that without the incident, we would have wound up like this. It disgusted me to think it, but I couldn't say I was **_**completely **_**angry over what had happened. The sudden turn of thought made me squeeze her hand, suddenly even more grateful to have her by my side. **

**The appearance of a woman and the scream that came with her interrupted my thoughts, 'Alesha!' **

**Alesha's hand slipped out of my own as she hugged the woman, 'Sandra! It's great to see you again.'**

'**Where's Charlie?' she asked. **_**Charlie? Who's Charlie? **_**I didn't recognise the name.**

'**Oh, we broke up a few months ago.' **_**Oh, the ex-boyfriend. **_**She grabbed my hand and pulled me forwards.**

'**And who's this?' I stood feeling a little uncomfortable while she looked up and down by body. I didn't miss the surprise that surfaced as her eyes fell on my face. **

'**This is Matt-' she was going to continue but **_**Sandra**_**, whom I was pretty sure Alesha had said was Denise's mother, cut her off.**

'**Nice to meet you Matt. And why is it that Matt looks as though he just lost a fight with a rhino?' I could see the question was meant for me so I opened my mouth to speak. I was more than grateful when Alesha managed to get there first. **

'**He works for the police, got punched by a guy he was arresting.' The story sounded legit. 'Anyway, what time are we starting?'**

'**Actually, you're just in time. We should go in.' The three of us headed towards the entrance, and after leaving the present in the basket, went to take our seats. **

**I turned to her, 'Thanks… for lying about, you know.' I pointed to the eye with a grin. **

**The music started and the doors behind opened. I turned to watch Denise walk down the aisle. She looked great – not the best in the room, that prize went to Alesha – but she looked nice, though a little uncomfortable. Satisfied that I'd seen the bride, I spent most of the time watching Alesha out of the corner of my eye, it pleased me to see her looking calm again. **

**When the ceremony was over, we returned to the garden. I stayed by Alesha's side whilst she introduced me and caught up with old friends. I got a few disapproving looks, mainly from the men. It annoyed me a little, but I have to admit, I found it a little funny. The way the women reacted to me was embarrassing, but flattering, and I sensed that the men who acted this way, were threatened. **

**We continued the rounds for a couple of hours – Alesha was a popular woman. Again, the scream coming from the woman running towards Alesha was what warned me. Denise was barely recognisable from earlier. She'd changed into casual wear and removed most of her make up.**

'**Alesha. It's been too long.' My hand was removed from hers as she stepped forwards for another hug.**

**I watched the pair as Alesha nodded, 'Yeah, I know. I've been really busy with work. Sorry.' It didn't surprise me that Alesha's dedication to her job had intruded o her social life. **

'**Who's this?' she raised an eyebrow and I flushed in embarrassment as I recognised the look for the thousandth time today. **

'**This is Matt. He works for the police, hence the bruises.'**

'**Oh, hello Matt.' I felt even more blood travel to my face as she checked me out.**

'**Anyway, come on, we'll catch up at lunch. I put you next to me, never mind Mum.'**

**We followed her back into the adjoining church hall and I examined the room. It was nice, decorated with silver and green all over the place.**

**The start of the meal was more than a little boring. I engaged in conversation with the man sat next to me whilst Alesha and Denise caught up, though I wished I hadn't bothered. The man was quite possible one of the most boring I'd ever met. It felt like I'd been listening to the sound of his voice for hours when Denise finally began to talk to me, including me in what was now apparently a more open conversation. **

**She took half an hour to question me on practically everything, it felt like an interrogation, almost as though she were trying to learn enough about me so that she could approve the relationship. I answered all of the questions until it was time for the speeches. I held onto Alesha's hand underneath the table as we listened, until finally we were all told to head back outside. **

**It was beginning to get darker now, a dance floor had emerged in the centre of the garden, and I didn't miss a couple of the men who had been rude earlier, now doing their best to keep themselves upright in the far corner. **

'**Come on.' I pulled Alesha over with me to dance. She too, looked like she was having a little trouble with the alcohol, so I supported most of her weight. **

**I leaned forward to tell her something, 'I meant it, you look great tonight.' I pulled back and waited a minute before leaning in to kiss her again. **

'**I love you.' I didn't remember really making the conscious decision to say the words but I was glad they slipped out all the same. She laughed and I frowned a little, not really the reaction I was expecting or hoping for.**

'**You don't mean it, you're drunk.' I looked at her with a sincerity, trying to convey that I really did mean it.**

'_**You're **_**drunk. I haven't had a drink all day. Alesha, I love you.' I repeated the words.**

**There were a few seconds of silence, 'I love you too.'**

**As she said the words I thought about something Ronnie had once told me; Alcohol is a truth serum – it loosens inhibitions, encourages people to act out the things they truly believe and feel. Completely content, I pulled her to me again…**

A/N: I'm so sorry that this has taken so long and that you may feel that the last chapter is a little rushed. I'm starting exams soon and I've been trying to revise but I didn't want to make you wait any longer so I finished it off. I hope you enjoyed it and please leave a review :)**  
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	9. Chapter 9

**This chapter is a universal POV**

It had been five days since the wedding and both Matt and Alesha had been putting off the inevitable. Matt had been mobile enough to look after himself for several days, but neither wanted the extended stay to end.

"I should go back to my place tonight. I've been here too long already." It was early and they were still in bed. Alesha lay enclosed in the embrace of the detective.

Matt had been thinking about what to say when this moment came, but now all planning flew out the window and he opened his mouth without thinking. "Stay."

"I can't, I've got to leave sometime."

"Why? Stay." He said the word again. "I mean it." There was a moment of silence. "Look, Lesh. I'm not suggesting that you should sell your place, marry me and have my child. I'm saying, stay for a while, see what happens."

She looked up at him, wriggling out of his hold and pushing herself onto her arm to look into his eyes, "Matt, are you crazy?"

"Lesh, why not?" In an effort to convince her he leaned down to press his lips to hers, snaking an arm around her back.

She opened her eyes slowly, she was still left feeling light-headed at every kiss. "Okay."

"What?" Matt wasn't sure what he had expected to hear, but it wasn't that.

"Okay. Okay." His face slowly broke into a smile, he grinned from ear to ear and leaned in again, pressing his lips to hers again. He pulled away for a short second, "I love you." She felt a similar smile cross her own face as she leant forward, placing a hand behind his head to keep him close. "I love you too."

THE END

Sorry for the slow updates towards the end there. I hope you enjoyed the fic, please review


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